Buffer



y 28,1942. E. L. BEST Em. 2,291,524

BUFFER Filed Sept. 6, 1940 2 sheets-sheet 1 umuun 1 7g 2a 49 42 BY% m ATTORNEYS.

INVENTORS.

July 28, 1942. E. L. BEST ETAL BUFFER Filed Sept. 6, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 /w/v A. 5557' HENRY 059:.

INVENTORS.

ATT

.llllllllllll I Patented July 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Burma Edwin L. Best and Henry Obre', Shrewsbury, N. J. Application September 6,1940, Serial No. 355,580

1 Claim.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in buffers and more particularly it pertains to a new and novel hub construction for buffers of the type which are constructed from a plurality of layers of cloth of circular form and a hub member by means of which the buffer may be mounted upon a driving shaft or spindle.

It is one object of the present invention to provide a novel hub member capable of providing greater rigidity at the central zone of the buffer.

It is another object of the invention to provide a new and novel construction of hub member wherein the bufiing element per se is secured between two parallel flanges of the hub member, in addition to the piercing prongs or teeth generally employed in the construction of buffers of the aforementioned type.

It is still another object of the invention to provide a novel method for manufacturing hub members for buflers, whereby the foregoing objects may be carried out.

Other objects as well as advantages will become apparent as the nature of the invention is better understood and reference will now be had to the accompanying drawings wherein the invention is illustrated in its preferred forms.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is aplan view ofra partially processed blank of material from which a hub member of the present invention may be formed, the view being partly broken away,

Figure 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of the blank after a further step of the process or method has been performed,

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a hub member constructed in accordance with the present invention in the form in which it is ready to receive the bufling element,

Figure 4 is a sectional view illustrating the bufling element in position upon the hub member,

Figure 5 is an enlarged detail sectional view illustrating a still further step in the method of securing the hub member t the buffer element,

Figure 6 is a detail sectional view illustrating the hub member as finally secured to the bufling element,

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the member employed for securing or mounting the buffer upon a driving shaft or spindle,

Figure 8 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating the manner in which the member for securing or mounting the buffer upon a driving shaft or spindle is attached to the hub member of the buifer, I A

Figure 9 is a perspective view'of a completed buffer constructed in accordance with the present invention,

Figure 10 is a fragmentary sectional view on an enlarged scale, taken substantially on the line Ill-l0 of Figure 9,

Figure 11 is a distended perspective view illustrating a slightly modified form of the invention, 1

Figure 12 is a detail sectional view of a hub member constructed in accordance with the modified form of the invention,

Figure 13 is a detail fragmentary view of the hub illustrated in Figures 11 and 12, and;

Figure 14 is a detail sectional view taken substantially on the line ll-ll of Figure 13.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, and particularly to Figure 9 thereof, a buffer constructed in accordance with the present inven-' tion includes a main body portion 20 which may be formed in the conventional manner from fabric or other suitable material, a hub member 2|, and a mounting member 22 by means of which the buffer may be mounted upon a driving shaft or spindle in the conventional manner.

The main body portion 20 as generally formed is circular in shape and consists of a plurality of superposed layers of fabric. The body portion 20 may be stitched through as at 24 to secure the layers of fabric together and to provide stiffness or rigidity to the central portion thereof in the immediate vicinity of a central opening 25.

In that form of the invention illustrated in Figures 1 through 10 of the drawings, the hub member 2| is formed from one piece of material such as metal. This hub member comprises a main body portion 26 in the form of a circular band. Extending from each side edge of the body portion 26, there is a continuous flange 21, and extending from the peripheral edge of each flange 21, there are spaced prongs 28, the prongs 28 on one flange being off-set with respect to those upon the other flange.

The manner in which the hub member is formed and attached to the buffer body, will now be described.

The hub member is preferably formed from flat stock and by die cutting or in any suitable manner a flat blank such as illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawings is formed. The prongs '28 along one side edge of the flat blank are next bent into a plane at substantially right angles to the plane of the-body of the blank after which the blank is bent along the longitudinally extending line designated 29.

As thus far formed, the hub member comprises a structure which is L-shaped in cross-sectional form with the prongs of one flange positioned in a plane at right angles to the plane of the flange, while the prongs of the other flange occupy positions in the same plane as that of their respective flange.

By means of suitable apparatus not herein illustrated, the blank is bent around a circular form, also not illustrated, and its ends brought into slightly overlapping relation in which form it is secured preferably by spot welding or the like as indicated at 30 in Figure 3 of the drawmes.

In this form, the buffer body 20 is placed upon the hub member, the upstanding flange thereof passing through the central opening 25 of the buiIer body with which central opening the upstanding flange has a snug fit as indicated at 3| in Figure 4 of the drawings.

After the foregoing operations have been completed the buifer appears as in Figure 4 of the drawings. The prongs 28 upon the upstanding flange in Figure 4 ofthe drawings are next bent into a plane substantially at right angles to that of the upstanding flange after which the blank is bent by a suitable die operation along the line 32 in Figure 5, to the position in which it is shown in Figure 6, in which position, its prongs 28 pierce the body portion of the bufier body and the central stitched area thereof surrounding the opening 25, is securely clamped between the two flanges 21. The prongs 28 serve to prevent relative movement of the buffer body 20 relative to the flanges 21, under centrifugal force to which the bufier is subjected in use and the structure has been found in actual use to provide a highly satisfactory hub construction for buffers of the type described.

The construction and the method aforedescribed has decided advantages over all prior devices with which we are familiar since it permits of providing a structure by which the buffer body is firmly clamped between two flanges in addition to the holding prongs commonly relied upon. Furthermore, by reason of the fact that the opening 25 of the bufier body of the present device does not require stretching or other distortion in positioning it upon the hub member, the area immediately surrounding the central opening may be heavily reinforced by stitching, thus providing firmer anchorage for the prongs than is possible in buffer bodies wherein distortion of the hub receiving opening is necessary in order to position the hub member therein.

,The means by which the buffer is mounted upon a driving shaft or spindle is illustrated in Figure 7 of the drawings. It comprises a spiderlike member 22 in the form of a circular body 40, having a central opening 4| defined by a flange 42.. Projecting from the peripheral edge of the body portion 40 there is a plurality of arms or the like 44 by means of which the member 22 may be secured in the hub member 2|.

In the present embodiment of the invention there are eight of these arms 44 illustrated and the manner in which they function to secure the member 22 within the hub member 2|, will now be described.

As illustrated in Figure 7, four of the arms 44 are bent along the lines indicated by the reference characters 45 and 44 to provide an outer portion 41 and an inner portion 48 connected by an intermediate portion 48 which positions the portions 41 and in different, but substantially parallel planes. It will be noted from Figure 7, that alternate arms 44 are bent as Just described and that the intermediate arms 44 are, up to this point, bent only upon the line 45 to position them in'a plane substantially at right angles to the plane of the body portion 40 of the mounting member.

The mounting member 22 is next inserted into the opening of the hub member by passing those arms 44 which occupy positions in planes at right angles to the body portion of the mounting member through the opening of the hub member as illustrated in Figure 8 of the drawings.

With the several parts in the position in which they are shown in Figure 8 of the drawings, the upstanding arms 44 are bent along their respective line 45 into engagement with the hub member which latter is then securely clamped between the alternate oppositely disposed arms 44 of the mounting member 22.

By reference to Figure 8 of the drawings, it will be noted that the intermediate portion 49 of each of the arms 44 is of a width substantially equal to half the width of the body portion 25 of the hub member 2| which construction positions the mounting member substantially centrally of the width of the body portion of the hub member as best illustrated in said Figure 8.

In Figures 11 through 14, there is illustrated a modified form of hub' member in which the bufler element is clamped between .two flanges as in the heretofore described form of the invention. However, in the modified form of the invention, the side flanges of the hub member are formed by rings which are not integral with the body portion of the hub member.

Referring to Figure 11, of the drawings, the body portion of the hub member is designated 40. It consists of a, cylindrical portion 4| upon one end of which there is a relatively narrow outwardly disposed flange 52.

Two ring like members 53 are employed and since they are identical in construction, the description of one will sufiice.

The ring like member 53 has a central opening 54 which is defined by a relatively narrow depressed area 55. Prongs 56 project from the peripheral edge of the ring like member 53, said prongs being disposed in spaced relation and occupying positions in planes at substantially right angles to the plane of the body portion of the ring like member.

As illustrated in Figures 13 and 14, the prongs 55 may be stamped or indented as at 51 to provide increased strength and rigidity at the points where the prongs join the body of the ring like member.

In mounting the buifer element upon the hub member, the body portion 50 of the hub member is placed upon a bench or similar support resting upon its flange 52 with the cylindrical portion standing upwardly as shown in Figure 11 With the body portion in the described position, one of the ring members is passed over the cylindrical extension of the body portion with its prongs 56 disposed upwardly. The buffer element is next passed over the cylindrical extension of the body portion and forced downwardly upon the upstanding prongs of the ring like member after which the other ring like member is placed upon the cylindrical extension with its prongs 56 positioned downwardly, the prongs 56 of the second mentioned ring like member being forced into the body portion of the buffer element.

With the parts assembled as above described, a flange 59, see Figure 12, is formed upon the upper end of the cylindrical extension 5| to secure the parts together in their assembled relation.v

In the formation of the flange 59, the parts will be rigidly secured together with the flanges 52 and 59 received in the depressed areas of their respective ring like member as illustrated in Figure 12 of the drawings.

The mounting member 22 may be employed in the same manner as heretofore described in connection with this modified form of the invention.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent tha the present invention provides a new and novel construction of buffing element which construction provides an extremely neat appearing device as well as one in which a secure attachment of the hub member and the mounting memher to the buffer element is assured.

While the invention has been herein illustrated in its preferred forms, it is to be understood that it is not to be limited to the specific constructions herein illustrated and that it may be practiced in such other forms as rightfully fall within the scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is:

The method of forming and attaching hub members to buffers which comprises forming a blank of metal into substantially rectangular form with prongs projecting from its longitudinal side edges, bending said blank along a longitudinal line into L-shaped cross-sectional form, bending the prongs upon the narrow flange-of the L- shaped blank into a plane at right angles to the plane of said flange, bending said blank into cylindrical form and securing its ends together to maintain it in said cylindrical form, passing a buffing element over the body portion of the blank in its cylindrical form and into holding engagement with the prongs on the narrower flange of the blank bending the prongs upon the wider flange of the L-shaped blank into a plane at right angles to that of the body portion of the blank in its cylindrical form, and subsequently bending the body portion of the blank in its cylindrical form into a plane parallel with that of the aforementioned flange and the prongs thereof into holding engagement with the buffer element.

EDWIN L. BEST.

HENRY OBRE. 

